


A Week in Washington

by Rosetylars



Series: Nick & Stef [1]
Category: Sports RPF, Tennis RPF
Genre: First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, M/M, One Shot, Sharing a Bed, Washington 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 10:37:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20134093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: It started out as a crush, but Stef accidentally left a thirsty comment on one of Nick’s shirtless pictures last year and they’ve been flirting over text since then.Now Nick has asked Stef to play doubles...Aka Nick credited his ‘new routines’ for his title last week, and that new routine obviously involved sharing a bed and some kisses with Stef.





	A Week in Washington

**Author's Note:**

> When my two favourite players seemed to get very close all of a sudden, I just had to write this. 
> 
> This is fiction! The people, places and scores are real, but the story is not (as far as we know...)

They couldn’t have been more different. Stefanos was the ultimate professional. He trained incredibly hard both in the gym and on the court, with a team of coaches and fitness professionals behind him. He played a tournament almost every week on the calendar, going deep most weeks, making quarters, semis or the final more regularly than he lost early matches. He had clear goals and was determined to reach them, and wouldn’t stop working until he achieved them and fulfilled his potential. He had 3 titles under his belt at just 20, and had famously beaten Federer in the Australian Open quarter final this year. 

Nick was not like Stef at all. Sure, he’d climbed the rankings when he was younger, with 5 titles to his name, but he was currently ranked world number 48 due to his lackadaisical approach to tennis. He had no coach, and the closest thing he had to a team was his fitness trainer, Ash, who was more like a friend than a professional. He happily admitted that the week he won the title in Acapulco, he went out clubbing every night. He played a few tournaments here and there, but rarely pushed himself to achieve the results those close to him knew he was capable of.

In his family, Stef was the oldest. He was the example, the role model, the idol. Nick was the baby. He was naughty, wild, and fiercely loved and defended by his siblings and parents. 

The pair of them were polar opposites. 

So when Stef received a text from Nick about entering the Washington doubles draw together, he can’t say he expected it. 

A few months ago, Stef had heard the talk of Nick appearing on an infamous journalist’s podcast, during which Nick announced he’d love to play doubles together one day, when their schedules lined up. 

If Stef were honest with himself, he’d always been fascinated by Nick. He’s the kind of bad boy that Stef’s parents were starting to warn his little sister about. But was Nick really as bad as the media made him out to be? 

When Stef was 17, he and Nick had hit at the Boodles before Nick played Wimbledon and Stef played Wimbledon juniors. Nick had been friendly and jovial, showing off his trick shots but really taking Stef seriously. Nick had told him he thought Stef would be a much better player than him in the future - Stef didn’t realise until now that the rankings truly reflected this statement. 

After the Boodles, Stef had accidentally developed a crush on Nick. His laid-back, careless attitude; his Australian accent; a very soft heart hidden under a tough exterior. 

This crush had been harmless for a while, until last year when Stef had tried to DM his friend from home a shirtless picture Nick had posted on Instagram, with the message ‘Fuck this is sexy,’ and accidentally left a comment instead. Stef thought he had deleted it quickly enough for Nick not to notice, but Nick had sent him a flirty message instantly and since then, the pair had exchanged a few flirty messages every so often. 

Today, Stef had replied to Nick’s text about doubles almost instantly, with a simple: “Yeah, that’d be great.” He added a happy emoji. 

They met up in Washington the Saturday evening before the tournament. This had been Nick’s idea - he’d texted Stef suggesting they should have a beer together before they played. 

When Stef arrived at the pub, he felt a bit strange. He wasn’t the type to have a casual drink unless he was on vacation - being this close to a tournament, he really didn’t think it was a great idea.

He found Nick sitting at a table in the corner, a jug of beer in front of him, with two glasses already poured next to it. 

“Hey, man,” Nick greeted. 

Stef smiled and gave an awkward wave as he approached. “Can’t say I normally come to the pub this close to a tournament,” he said. 

“Loosen up man, you’ll have a singles bye, won’t be ages til you play!” Nick jumped up from his seat and pulled out a chair for Stef with a flourish. 

Hm, Stef thought, that was rather gentlemanly. 

“You’re a terrible influence,” Stef joked, sitting down. 

“Nah, you’re just a good boy who needs some more fun in his life,” Nick teased, grabbing his glass and sipping his beer. 

“Maybe,” Stef conceded. “Gotta be a good example, though,” he smirked, knowing Nick was... exactly the opposite. At least, in the eyes of the media. 

Nick chuckled. “Someone has to,” he agreed. 

After a few moments, Nick realised Stef hadn’t touched his drink. “Dude, that’s yours, enjoy! My shout,” he gently pushed the beer towards Stef. When Stef grimaced slightly, Nick continued, “Come on man, you work so hard, let yourself enjoy life a bit!”

Stef figured Nick wasn’t being unreasonable. One beer wouldn’t jeopardise his training. For the sake of bonding, he accepted the drink. He took a sip and Nick’s face lit up with a huge grin. 

“It’s happening! Stefanos is having a drink! Alert the fake journos,” Nick laughed. 

Stef smiled and rolled his eyes. “You make me sound like I’m so boring, Nick.”

Nick shrugged. “I barely know you. Are you boring?” 

Stef considered the first part of Nick’s question. He supposed that they didn’t know each other very deeply. The messages they’d exchanged didn’t vary much from flirting and compliments - it wasn’t very deep, apart from both admitting an attraction to one another. They hadn’t seen each other in person since the Boodles all those years ago, though. 

“No, I have lots of interests,” Stef replied simply. 

Nick was thrilled to see him take another sip of his beer, though. “Yeah, like what?”

“Travelling. I love exploring,” Stef offered. 

Nick nodded. “That’s cool, pretty lucky to enjoy it when it’s such a big part of tennis.”

“Don’t you?” Stef frowned in surprise. 

Nick took a sip of his beer. “No,” he replied honestly. “I hate being away from my family, my friends at home, and especially my dogs,” he explained, scratching his head. “I hang out with some of the Aussie and American guys on tour, they’re always fun, but it’s not nearly the same as being at home.”

Stef thought this was the most open and honest thing he’d ever heard Nick say. “I didn’t realise,” Stef said softly. 

Nick shrugged. “Your family travels a fair bit with you, yeah?”

Stef nodded. “Yeah, obviously my dad comes everywhere, Petros travels with us whenever he can and sometimes plays Futures nearby, and my younger brother and sister travel with us for a few weeks every so often when it fits in with school,” he explained. “She’s coming to Washington in a couple of days.”

“Fuck, you’re lucky,” Nick shook his head. 

“Your brother used to travel with you, didn’t he?” Stef asked after another sip. 

By now Stef had consumed half his glass, and Nick refilled it from the jug before Stef could argue. 

Nick nodded. “Yeah, things have changed for him though, he’s getting married and he has his own life. Same with my sister, she has her own successful job and life too. I’m just on my own out here,” Nick admitted. 

Stef had never seen this side to Nick before. So raw, and human. Stef couldn’t live without his family. “You’re not alone,” Stef briefly placed his hand on Nick’s arm. He had no idea what possessed him to do it, and thought Nick might react by punching him in the head. 

On the contrary, Nick just smiled. “Thanks bro, that’s sweet.”

Stef laughed. “Are we bros?”

“We are now. Are you doing anything tonight?” Nick asked, finishing his first glass of beer and refilling it from the jug, which was now only a third full. 

“Dinner with my dad and fitness trainer, Fred,” Stef answered. 

“That’s nice, why don’t you come and play some 2K after that?” Nick proposed. If Stef knew Nick better, he’d realise that his confident facade had faltered slightly, as if he were genuinely afraid to be rejected. 

Stef didn’t notice this, though, and was just genuinely happy to be invited. “Sure, that sounds great,” he smiled. 

Nick expelled a breath he didn’t realise he was holding. “I won’t apologise when I win, though,” he grinned. 

“I wouldn’t be too sure,” Stef countered, “my brothers love the NBA, they’re constantly playing the game and I’ve beaten them a few times.”

“Wow, I’m scared,” Nick deadpanned, “I probably play for the amount of time you spend training.”

Stef laughed, realising again just how different they were. 

The boys finished the beer jug and agreed to meet at Nick’s apartment at 9 before parting ways. Stef couldn’t help the bubble of excitement in his chest.

***  
After a pleasant dinner, Stef headed to the elevator to go up to Nick’s hotel room. When Stef told his dad about their plans, Apostolos had raised his eyebrows, but simply told his son to have fun. 

Stef knocked on the door of Nick’s hotel room, and Nick greeted Stef with a smile and a quick hug. 

Stef wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but a very neat room wasn’t it. Nick’s possessions were all tidily organised, with his beloved shoes carefully lined up by the door. 

“I really thought your hotel room would be a huge mess,” Stef admitted with a laugh. 

Nick‘s lips quirked into a half smile. “You’ve got a lot left to learn about me, Stef.”

What Stef didn’t notice at first glance was that there was no couch in the room - the hotel room layout was quite minimalistic, with a king-sized bed facing a large wall mounted television screen. The only other furniture was a small table next to the window with two chairs. Stef was staying in the same hotel for this tournament, but he and his family normally stayed in larger, multi-bedroom apartments, so the layouts differed. 

Nick didn’t seem fussed by this, though. He sat down cross-legged on the covers and patted the space next to him with a flourish. 

The bed was so large that they were still quite a distance from each other, but Stef couldn’t help the slight increase in heart rate the proximity caused. He felt like an idiot. Sure, they both found each other attractive, but what if Nick had changed his mind since they last texted a few months ago? Everything seemed different from behind a screen to in person. 

“How was your dinner?” Nick asked, as he set up the PlayStation and launched the game. He handed Stef a remote. 

“Really nice, Dad found a Greek place a few blocks away,” Stef replied. 

Nick looked at him, then. He noticed that Stef was wearing a crisp brown shirt and black jeans. ”You look really good, by the way,” Nick said simply, as if he were commenting on something completely obvious, such as the weather.

A warm feeling settled in Stef’s stomach at this, and he blushed slightly. “Thanks, Nick,” he said softly.

“You’re so embarrassed, it’s cute,” Nick grinned. 

This made Stef blush even more. “I’m not cute,” he insisted. He couldn’t meet Nick’s eyes without making his feelings completely obvious, so he stared intently at the controller in his hand instead. 

“Of course you are!” Nick rolled his eyes. “Especially when you shave.” At this point, Nick reached out and touched Stef’s bare chin with the lightest of brushes. 

Okay, Stef thought, this was happening. His crush of three years was actually here, flirting with him. Yet he totally froze up. 

Nick withdrew his hand but remained balanced on his elbow, close to Stef on the bed. 

“Why won’t you look at me?” Nick asked so gently that Stef almost didn’t hear him. 

“Because I don’t know how to feel right now,” Stef whispered. 

Nick sighed. “You think way too much,” he pointed out softly. However, Nick had noticed Stef’s hesitance, and wanted to back off and give him some space. With a grin, he asked, “Would you like a drink before I smash you at 2K?”

The tension left Stef’s shoulders at this, and he laughed. “Nick, I shouldn’t have even been drinking today!”

Nick rolled his eyes but was grinning as well. “Just one more, come on! It’s Saturday, we don’t play doubles til Tuesday, singles not even til after that. Unless you plan on getting shit faced, one more drink won’t hurt you,” he pointed out. 

Stef knew Nick was right. The couple of glasses of beer he had earlier in the day had already completely worn off, anyway. Plus, he was full of nerves finally being with Nick after all the time he spent daydreaming about him. 

“You’re a terrible influence,” Stef said with a smile, and Nick knew this meant he agreed with him. 

“Whatever you say, Stef,” Nick placated, getting up to pour them both a drink. “Vodka soda?” 

“Sure, thanks,” Stef responded. 

Once Nick had poured their drinks, he sat down again, and they began playing PlayStation. Stef clearly hadn’t been lying about playing with his brothers - Nick was pretty impressed by his skill level. Nick was used to playing PlayStation week in, week out, against a lot of the other Aussies or some Americans on tour, and Stef was probably one of the best players he’d come up against. 

So when Stef won their first match, Nick was actually very disappointed in himself. 

“That’s not fair,” Nick whined. “I never lose!”

Stef smiled and poked out his tongue. “Guess you do now,” he teased. He felt a little bit more relaxed, now. 

Nick laid down with his head on the pillow, still on top of the covers, turning his back on Stef, and crossing his arms. “I’m asleep,” he huffed. 

Stef giggled and took the opportunity to tickle the back of Nick’s neck while it was exposed. 

“Bro, what the fuck?!” Nick exclaimed, turning his head slightly to see what was going on. 

Stef thought Nick was actually angry, and opened his mouth to apologise. 

Before anything came out, Nick spoke again, sitting up from his little sulk. “If you’re gonna play tickles, at least let me fucking kiss you first or something!” Much to Stef’s surprise, Nick didn’t sound angry at all. In fact, he was actually laughing. 

Stef couldn’t breathe. He’d wanted to kiss Nick for so long. He’d even told Nick that once or twice previously while they were texting. Now that the moment was here, he had no idea what he was doing. 

Stef desperately didn’t want to ruin another opportunity. When Nick looked at him again, Stef took his chance. He leant in and met Nick’s lips with his own. 

Nick’s reputation may have been rough and mean, but the kiss was so gentle Stef nearly melted. Nick took all of his cues from Stef, only deepening the kiss when Stef instigated it, to make sure the younger man was comfortable. Stef grew in confidence and threaded his fingers through Nick’s short hair, which caused a smile. 

Stef pouted when Nick pulled back from him to speak. 

“Never knew you could kiss like this,” Nick whispered. 

“Never knew I’d really get the chance to kiss you,” Stef countered. 

A soft smile lit up Nick’s face. “When you told me you had a crush on me last year, did you mean it?”

Stef huffed a laugh. “Of course I did! I’ve liked you since you swept me off my feet at the Boodles when we hit that time,” Stef admitted. 

Nick laughed. “Do you remember when you commented on my photo?”

Stef hid his face with his hands. “Don’t remind me,” he laughed, “it was so embarrassing. But at least it started us talking,” he reasoned. 

Nick nodded in agreement. “That’s true. I would’ve hit you up anyway, after your week in Toronto last year. When you were competing in that bright pink top and beat Sascha. I couldn’t get you out of my head after that,” Nick admitted. 

Stef‘s shy smile was more than Nick could take. Almost exactly a whole year had passed since the week Nick was referring to. This time, it was Nick who initiated the kiss. Once again he was very gentle, treating Stef as if he were the most precious thing on Earth. Nick gently touched Stef’s hair, feeling a curl between his fingers while they kissed. When Stef opened his lips under Nick’s, his tongue tasted like vodka and the carbonated soda water they had been drinking. 

When they finally broke apart, Stef was laughing quietly to himself. 

“What’s funny?” Nick pouted, self conscious. 

“Just realised you finally stopped sulking about me beating you at PlayStation,” Stef teased. 

Nick huffed in mock anger. “Guess we’ll have to play again so I can prove I’m the best,” he suggested. 

Stef smiled, reaching out and stroking Nick’s jawline. As he did so, he noticed with a jolt that his watch read 11:30pm. 

“Shit, my dad is expecting me back in our room,” Stef said. 

“Stay,” Nick pouted. 

Stef frowned. “We’re hitting together tomorrow, right?” 

“Yeah, but I can’t kiss you while we hit can I?” Nick rolled his eyes, but his expression was full of mirth. 

Stef blushed. “Guess we’ll have to have a rematch tomorrow,” he suggested. 

The boys decided to share a ‘final’ kiss, which lasted an obscene amount of time. 

“We - have - to - stop,” Stef said finally, but every word was cut off with another peck from Nick. This brought Stef into a fit of giggles. 

“Make me,” Nick demanded.

Stef responded by placing his hand over Nick’s lips. Nick, however, decided it would be a good idea to keep pressing kisses to Stef’s palm. 

Stef reluctantly broke away and stood up, because there was no other way this was going to end unless he forced it to. 

Nick followed him to the door. As Stef was about to reach for the handle, Nick caught his hand in his own. 

“I’m so glad you accidentally commented on my picture that time,” Nick smiled, lacing their fingers together. 

Stef laughed. “I’m so glad you asked to play doubles,” he admitted. 

“I think we’re gonna have a fun week,” Nick prophesied. 

Stef placed a chaste kiss on Nick’s lips before he opened the door. “I think so too.”

***  
Nick was not used to having a coach on the court. Normally he’d go out on court, hit a few serves, then pick a kid from the crowd of spectators to play mini tennis with. But today, hitting with Stef meant a proper practice session doing whatever Stef’s dad asked. 

It didn’t help his concentration that Nick could still taste Stef on his tongue. 

They played some rallies against each other, before Apostolos decided they needed to work on volleying to help with both their singles and doubles matches. 

When they went to have a drink and a short rest, they shared the bench seat. 

“Are we still on for PlayStation tonight?” Stef asked Nick. 

“Definitely,” Nick grinned, “I have to prove my skill level.”

Stef rolled his eyes teasingly. “Sure, whatever you say.”

Their training session didn’t last longer than an hour, but Nick had not had such a structured practice since he was in juniors, so he was almost relieved when it was over. 

Nick headed back to the hotel separately from Stef and Apostolos, not wanting to intrude. He also thought the walk from the tennis centre might help clear his head - his thoughts had basically all revolved around Stefanos since the night before. 

He wasn’t expecting to hear from Stef before their PlayStation appointment later that night, so he was surprised when he checked his phone after a shower and noticed the red notification stamp on his Instagram icon. 

Stef had sent him another DM. 

He had gone back through Nick’s account, found the shirtless picture that had accidentally started their... whatever they had going on, and re-sent it to Nick. His message, this time, was “You’re still this sexy,” with an emoji sticking its tongue out. 

Cheeky bastard, Nick thought. 

Nick typed out his reply: “How would u know? I had my shirt on last nite”. 

The Instagram app tattled that Stef was already typing his reply. 

When it came, it said: “Guess you should keep it off tonight”.

Nick replied: “If ur lucky” with a winking face and set his phone to sleep mode. 

***  
The Sunday night panned out much the same as the night before. Stef arrived at Nick’s apartment at around eight thirty, and Nick greeted him with a little kiss. 

“How did you find our practice session?” Stef asked as he entered the room once more. 

“Structured,” Nick said thoughtfully, “and intense. I’m not used to proper training like that,” he admitted. 

Stef nodded. “It was fun with you out there,” he grinned, sitting down on the bed where he’d been last night. 

“Well you looked pretty hot, I like the thick headband better than the little ones you train in, though,” Nick said honestly. 

Stef laughed. “I have to try and even out the tan line on my forehead somehow.”

Nick sat down next to him on the bed and reached out, touching Stef’s forehead and the tan line he’d just mentioned. He placed a gentle kiss on it, and Stef blushed. 

“I think it’s cute,” Nick admitted. 

At that point, Stef remembered their Instagram conversation. “Hey, what’s this?” Stef pulled at the hem of the basketball jersey Nick was wearing. “We had a deal!”

Nick rolled his eyes with a grin. “Only if you take yours off, too.”

Once they’d both removed their shirts, the absurdity of the situation hit Nick like a ton of bricks. “Just two bros who like to play PlayStation shirtless and kiss a little, no big deal,” he narrated, and Stef burst out laughing. 

This time, Nick did win their match, but his gloating was cut off by some pretty passionate kissing. 

***  
Their doubles match was scheduled for Monday, and they had a blast. They sat in the locker room together before the match, talking rubbish, Nick insisting on playing Stef songs that worked to hype them both up. 

Their match was close. The Colombian number one seeds Cabal and Farah won the first set 6-3, and Nick and Stef fought back to take the second set with the same scoreline. The match tiebreaker wasn’t as close as they hoped, and the boys lost to the Colombians 10-5. 

Nick and Stef couldn’t stop smiling the whole match. They loved playing together, and their flamboyant game styles worked well together. It didn’t help that Nick would quietly say dirty things to Stef when they sat down for a changeover, but Stef wasn’t complaining. 

Stef couldn’t help but feel like it was only the beginning for the two of them - as both a doubles pairing, and maybe more. 

***  
Nick’s first singles match was on Tuesday, and he played the American qualifier Thai-Son Kwiatkowski. He was a spirited opponent, but Nick prevailed in straight sets, with a final score of 7-5, 6-4. 

It was a late match, but Stef stayed up watching it on TV. 

As soon as Nick won, Stef texted him: “Great match! Knew you could do it! Xxx”

Stef expected not to see Nick tonight, but forty minutes later his phone rang.

“Congratulations!” Stef answered the call. 

“Thank you,” Nick replied, and Stef could hear his smile through the phone. “Is it too late to see you tonight?” Nick asked. It was approaching midnight. 

“We both have matches tomorrow,” Stef reasoned, “PlayStation is probably a bad idea because we both know we’ll get distracted.” Stef kept his voice down - he was sharing a three bedroom hotel suite with his dad and his little sister, who had just arrived in Washington. 

“Then come sleep over,” Nick suggested, and before Stef could respond, he added, “no funny business, I promise, just want to cuddle you for longer than half an hour.”

Stef laughed to himself. If only the media knew Nick Kyrgios loved to cuddle. “There’s no way my family wouldn’t notice,” he pointed out. 

“Then we’ll both wake up early and say we went to breakfast together,” Nick pointed out. 

Stef pondered this idea. “You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?” He laughed quietly. 

On the other end of the phone, Nick smiled. “Hey, I really want a cuddle,” he laughed. 

So that is how Stefanos Tsitsipas ended up sneaking out of his hotel room at midnight with a match the next afternoon, to go and cuddle with Nick Kyrgios. 

Stef chuckled to himself when he realised how hilarious the whole situation sounded. 

He was wearing grey tracksuit pants and a soft black sweater when Nick rang, so he figured they could double as his hotel sneaking clothes and pyjamas. 

He knew he was an adult and his dad probably wouldn’t mind him doing his own thing, but the situation with Nick felt private and Stef was happy to keep it just between the pair of them for now. 

Nick greeted him with a kiss as was their new custom, but unlike the other nights, Nick’s room was mostly dark. The right side of the bed was rumpled, and the left was perfectly made. 

“I take it you sleep on that side?” Stef pointed to the messed up bedding. 

“Definitely, if you don’t sleep on the other side we have to break up,” Nick joked. 

Stef cocked his head. “Are we together?” 

“Fuck, I don’t know, it’s late, let’s just go to sleep,” Nick grumbled. 

Stef’s heart was racing with Nick’s slip up, but he didn’t press Nick for more answers. 

Nick was settling into bed by now, and he pulled back the sheets on the other side for Stef to get in. 

“I haven’t shared a bed with anyone apart from my siblings,” Stef admitted as he crawled under the covers. 

“I won’t bite,” Nick smiled, his previous slip up forgotten. 

Nick turned behind him to turn off the bedside light before he threw an arm over Stef’s waist and pulled him close, kissing his forehead tenderly. 

“Goodnight, Nick,” Stef said, kissing Nick’s lips gently. 

Nick leaned in for a deeper kiss, which Stef reciprocated. 

Wrapped in Nick’s arms, it was one of the best night’s sleep Stef had ever had. 

***  
Wednesday was a good day for both of the boys. Stef crept back into his family’s hotel room at around half past six, knowing his family normally started their day at around seven when Stef had an afternoon match. He could still smell Nick’s cologne on his sweater, and the thought brought him a smile and made his stomach feel warm and fuzzy. 

They didn’t have to wait long to see each other again - at around eleven, Nick was having a light hit with Matt Reid. Stef and Apostolos turned up, and Stef was sure they’d booked the court. Nick had a laugh and let Stef have the court anyway, with a wink. 

Later in the day, they both had good match results, with Stef overcoming Tommy Paul on his home turf in straight sets, 6-3 7-5, and Nick defeating the eleventh seed Gilles Simon, 6-4 7-6(5). Their matches were back to back on centre court. 

They celebrated their wins with another sleepover once Nick’s match was complete. Stef wanted to stay on site and watch, but Nick insisted he go home and spend time with his family. 

Nick was getting quite used to this whole tennis and cuddles thing. 

***  
On Thursday, they both had their matches in the round of sixteen. Stef was the first match of the night session, competing against Nick’s fellow Aussie and childhood friend, Jordan Thompson. 

That morning, before Stef went back to his own room, he was lying with his head on Nick’s chest and asked him who he’d be supporting in the match. 

“Tough one,” Nick said honestly. “Jordan has been my guy since we were about six, but you’re my-“ he cut himself off. 

“Special friend,” Stef added helpfully, with a giggle. 

“Special friend,” Nick repeated with a laugh, “yeah. No matter what happens though, I still care for you both.”

This sentiment was reflected when match time rolled around, as Nick sat right between the two player boxes. Alex De Minaur was in Jordan’s box, and Apostolos and Elizavet were in Stef’s. 

The first set was straightforward, and Stef took it 6-3. The second was a lot tighter. Jordan’s level was very high the whole set, with only a few points deciding the match in Stef’s favour, 7-4 in the tiebreak. 

Stef bumped into Nick in the locker room after his match, before Nick went out for his own. 

After a quick glance around to determine nobody was nearby, Stef quickly kissed Nick. 

“Congratulations, gorgeous,” Nick smiled. 

“Thank you, good luck against Nishioka,” Stef responded. “Sorry about Jordan,” he added. 

Nick shrugged. “That’s sport, he’s a great guy. I hope he’s proud of how he played, because he should be,” he said. 

With another quick kiss, Nick headed out to face Nishioka. He played a great match, winning 6-2, 7-5. 

Their new tradition of sleepovers seemed to be helping his mindset out on court - he pointed this out to Stef in bed that night, with their fingers laced together. “Hey, if this helps, I’d sleep with you every tournament we’re together,” Stef said. 

Nick waggled his eyebrows at the euphemism. 

“Hey, you said no funny business,” Stef laughed. “But I do mean it,” he added softly. 

Nick kissed his forehead in thanks, and they drifted off into another happy sleep. 

***  
The boys knew they were projected to meet in the semi-final of the tournament, but it seemed more real when they were preparing to play their quarter finals on Friday. 

Stef hated looking ahead in draws; he preferred to focus on one match at a time so that he didn’t muddle up his tactics or get ahead of himself. 

Nick had always been the opposite. Especially when he was a bit younger, he always hung out for matches against big players - Nadal, Djokovic, Federer. And more often than not, Nick brought out his best tennis against them. 

Nick brought this up with Stef early on Friday morning. The previous night had been colder than the previous few, and Stef was snuggled into Nick like a cat. 

“We could play each other tomorrow night,” Nick said, once Stef had wriggled enough to prove he was awake. 

“Don’t jinx it,” Stef said seriously. 

“Dude, I’m playing Norbert Gombos,” Nick laughed. 

Stef turned within the circle of Nick’s arms to glare at him. In his sleep-mussed state, this was not a particularly threatening gesture. It just made Nick want to kiss him more. “Don’t be disrespectful, he’s a good player,” Stef said pointedly. 

Nick felt like a naughty school child being told off by the principal. “Sorry,” he muttered. 

“Should be,” Stef frowned, “besides, Paire is a tricky opponent, I don’t know what I’m going to get across the net.”

Nick hummed. “I believe in you,” he said honestly. “Plus, I really don’t want this week to end.”

***  
Stefanos played very well against Paire. There were a few tense moments when he broke his shoelace and had to stop play - Benoit decided to pretend he’d broken his own shoelace when Stef was break point up in the following game. Stef tried desperately hard to restrain from laughing.

He was victorious, 7-5 6-0, and had one foot in a semi final match up against Nick. 

Nick demonstrated some of his newfound consistency against Gombos, coming through the match in straight sets, 6-3 6-3. 

So it was official - the boys were going to face each other in the semi final. 

Stef rang Nick when Nick was about to leave the tennis centre. 

“Would you prefer if I didn’t sleep over tonight?” Stef asked quietly, obviously trying not to be heard by his family in their hotel room. 

Nick frowned, though Stef couldn’t have known this through the phone. “What? No way!”

Stef was surprised by this. “But we’re going to compete tomorrow, and one of us will lose,” Stef said desperately. He hated losing, and was always incredibly hard on himself. 

“Exactly, all the more reason to enjoy tonight,” Nick placated. “Unless you don’t want to?” He said, a trace of worry in his voice. 

“No, I do, I’m just anxious for tomorrow,” Stef replied honestly. 

Nick sighed. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes, please stop worrying and just relax,” he begged. 

***  
The boys were getting quite used to sharing a bed. Stefanos slept like he moved on court - constantly moving about, rolling over, snuggling into Nick. Nick wasn’t disturbed by this - the subconscious reminder he wasn’t alone seemed to help him sleep. Whenever Stef curled into him, Nick held him even closer. 

Elizavet noticed something was up at breakfast on Saturday morning. 

“You smell different,” she frowned. 

Stef pretended to sniff under his arms which made her laugh. “In a bad way?” 

“No, like a different perfume or something,” she explained. 

Stef realised straight away it must have been Nick’s cologne. He pretended not to know why, though, and the conversation quickly moved onto tonight’s match. 

“I think you’re gonna win,” she announced. 

Stef smiled and grabbed at her cheek. “Thanks, Liza. What do you think, Dad?”

Apostolos shrugged. “Hard to know what you’re going to get with Nick,” he admitted, “but he’s been playing very well this week. I think you’ve been good for him, Stef,” he smiled. 

Stef’s heart dropped for a second before he realised his dad just meant the new ‘friendship’ and the time they’d spent together playing PlayStation at the start of the tournament. The sleepovers were their secret bonus. 

When the match came around, the boys tried not to spend too much time together in the locker room beforehand, but it proved to be quite difficult to keep away from one another. Nick kept looking across the room at Stef and giving him dazzling smiles, which melted Stef. 

They got out on court, and the match was the circus everyone expected it to be. The enigma that was Nick Kyrgios was on full display. He was entirely focused in the first set, and then imploded in the second. Racquets were dumped, code violations were thrown out left, right and centre, and Nick was docked a point penalty. 

Stef tried to focus on his own side of the net, because if he thought too much about Nick being unsettled, he would get upset for the man who he was cuddling and kissing in bed just over twelve hours ago. 

Then Stef’s shoelaces broke twice. 

The first time, Nick was a good sport about it. He stood over by Apostolos and Liza, and delivered Stef the repaired shoe. He knelt down to present the shoe to Stef, and Stef couldn’t help the laughter that escaped him. He’d never played in a match like this. He’d never met someone like Nick Kyrgios. 

The next time, Nick was more uptight, and he declared that “Adidas suck.” The exclamation almost made Stef giggle, but once again he held himself together. 

Of course the match came down to a third set tiebreak, with Nick prevailing 6-4 3-6 7-6(7). 

They shared a sweet hug at the net and if Nick gave Stef a tiny kiss on the cheek, it was obscured by the camera angle. 

They went back to the locker room together after the match, and Stef was obviously disappointed. The pair sat together on the bench seat in front of Stef’s tidy locker. Nick had his arm around Stef’s neck, hand in his hair, giving Stef’s head a gentle massage. 

“You know who your opponent is in the final?” Stef asked after a few minutes of silence. 

“Nah, who?” Nick asked. 

Stef laughed wryly. “Medvedev. I would’ve lost anyway,” he declared. 

Nick shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous, that rivalry is only in your head. You’re the best young player in the world. You’ll be number five on Monday. Not that I look at the rankings,” Nick added. This made Stef smile. “But I mean it.”

After the match, Apostolos had offered to take Stef out for a late dinner. Stef asked if Nick wanted to join them, but Nick didn’t want to make things obvious about what was between them, and he still felt guilty for beating Stef in the match.

They were still going to have a sleepover, though. 

If Nick were honest, he had been dreading the end of the week. Stef’s presence and affection had affected Nick like a performance enhancing drug - Stef was in his heart, his mind, his veins. When things were turning south on court, when a younger Nick would have thrown in the towel, Nick heard Stef’s encouragement in his mind and found another level of consistency, a power to compete and believe in himself. 

Nick just didn’t want it all to end. 

Saturday night, after their semi final, was the last night they had together - or so Nick thought. 

When Stef had arrived at Nick’s room, Nick was visibly upset. His shoulders were hunched, his eyes had none of the cheeky glimmer Stef had grown very familiar with over the course of the week. He didn’t greet Stef with a kiss. 

“Nick, what’s wrong?” Stef placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder, but Nick turned his face away, stared at the ground. Stef moved his hand is he was lifting Nick’s chin up, forcing their eyes to meet. 

“I don’t want you to leave,” Nick whispered. 

Realising this was Nick’s issue, Stef gently grabbed his hand and guided Nick over to have a seat on the end of the bed. “But we’re both heading to Montreal,” Stef replied gently. 

“But I have to stay a whole extra night without you - they won’t let me fly out right after the final,” Nick whined. 

Stef gripped his hand tighter. “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. My dad just told me the tournament director has organised a private jet for us to head to Montreal,” Stef explained, a small smile appearing on his face. 

But the smile disappeared just as quickly. 

“There’s something more you aren’t telling me,” Nick deduced.

Stef grimaced and looked away for a moment, but met Nick’s eyes again. “It’s not just us...”

Of all reactions Stef expected Nick to have to this news, laughter wasn’t one of them. “Oh my god, it’s Medvedev isn’t it?” Nick laughed hysterically. 

Stef rolled his eyes but couldn’t help but laugh at Nick’s outburst. “Yes, the worst person in the world. Oh Nick, you have to beat him,” Stef said sternly. 

Nick smiled. “I’ll try my best. But at least that means we can stay together now,” he reasoned. “Also, you’re going to have to unblock him at some stage,” Nick added. 

The pair settled into their second last night of sleep together in Washington. 

***  
It was the new Nick who stepped out onto the court in the final. Daniil had been extremely consistent all week, and Nick was suffering from back spasms, but he held himself together and both of them delivered excellent service games. Both sets went to tiebreaks, with Nick taking the title, 8 and 7. 

In his victory speech, Nick mentioned the ‘new routines’ he had in place this week. Spectators would all probably think this was referring to some training or recovery - instead, Nick was actually giving credit to Stef and their time together. 

The morning after the final, Stef awoke Nick by peppering kisses all over his face. “Good morning, boyfriend,” Stef said experimentally. 

Nick opened one eye and arched an eyebrow. “Boyfriend?”

“No?” Stef asked. 

“Fuck it, why not,” Nick smiled, and pulled Stef in for a deeper kiss. 

If the reason Stef was willing to pose for a photo with Medvedev and even unblock him on Instagram was because it was his boyfriend who encouraged him to do so, well... Daniil doesn’t need to know.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know how you feel about the length - this was so much longer than my other fics, so if it seemed a bit laborious to read please let me know!


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